Here In The Silence
by Foreveralice97
Summary: Lisanna is alive, and Lucy is feeling left out. What happens when Lucy sees Lisanna looking like a couple with Natsu? rewrite of [You and Me]
1. Hurts Like Hell

_I loved and I loved and I lost you_  
And it hurts like hell  
Yeah it hurts like hell

 **Fleurie – Hurts Like Hell**

Edolas had been quite an adventure, not that Lucy could really complain as every day was an adventure with Fairy Tail. Edolas, though, was her favorite thus far because seeing Edo-Lucy and Edo-Natsu gave her hope that maybe her own feelings for her Natsu would be returned. However the end of their Edolas adventure brought her suffering due to one white haired mage, and Lucy knew it wasn't the girl's fault by any means, and Lucy tried her best to be understanding and hide how much she missed her friends at times. Lisanna was home, and every guild member who had known her wanted their time with her to catch up. Lucy hadn't been there when Lisanna was so, of course, she got left out, and by no means was she the only one. Everyone who joined after Lisanna's death kind of got pushed to the side and even Gajeel seemed to be understanding of it, but Lucy seemed to notice she got it the worst. Gajeel was always right up in guild fights making his presence known, and with him was Pantherlily, Wendy was a healer and eventually, someone would need her help, Carla could predict the future to some extent, and Juvia was hard to miss with her stalking of Grey. Lucy was just, well, Lucy. She didn't stand out like the others and in comparison, she felt weak, of lesser importance. So Lucy did what she felt best, she summoned Loke so he could partake in the merriment and smiled her best as days turned to weeks of being overlooked.

By the third week after their return from the other world Lucy stopped smiling unless someone directly spoke to her, she still came to the guild every day, but she'd simply watch her family as they laughed and joked with one another. She still summoned Loke when she arrived so he could join in, but she would just sit at the bar and watch until just after noon before leaving again without closing Loke's gate. Some days she'd shop, others she'd walk around the town until late and go home for a quick supper and bed. On the first day of the fourth week the landlady stopped Lucy on her way out to remind the blond that rent would be due soon, with a smile and a nod Lucy headed to the guild with the intent to ask Team Natsu if they were up for a mission, after all, she couldn't be the only one in need of money at the moment, it had been a while since any of them took a mission.

Lucy's plan, however, did not go as intended, when she arrived at the guild Natsu had his arm wrapped around Lisanna's waist, and the silver haired mage had her lips pressed against his cheek. They looked like such a happy couple and Lucy smiled at them, even as her heart felt like it was breaking. She still smiled while Natsu announced that he was going on a mission with Lisanna and the team, she was already back out the doors like she'd never been there at all by the time he asked where Lucy was so he could tell her where to meet up.

 **Lucy's POV**

I can't help it as tears start to slip past my careful mask of happiness, I turn around and leave right back out the doorway I'd just entered. I'm happy for them, I am, at least I want to be, they deserve happiness after all. I know that it's silly but looking about on the past few weeks I can't help but wonder if I wasn't just some replacement in Natsu's life for the hole Lisanna had left. I know I'm not the strongest mage and I complain a lot, but I thought I meant something to the others, and yet as soon as she shows up I'm overlooked. I shouldn't be upset over this, I mean if my mother showed up some how not dead I'd forget anything else too, but I can't help it.

I let my legs carry me away from the guild, no clear destination in mind, I just knew I didn't want to go home to my apartment full of memories of a team I no longer had. I almost smiled when it began to rain as I walked, I found myself wondering if it was Juvia's doing. Would Juvia declare Lisanna her love rival beings the silver beauty would be joining the same team as Grey? I shake my head, I don't want to think about that right now. I stop walking when I realize I've made it the cliff over looking the city and just take in the sights. From up here, you can just barely see all the people as they bustle around the busy streets, some with umbrellas others with out. It was times like this I wish I was an artist or a photographer, feeling like no matter what words I used I couldn't do justice to the sight before my eyes. The light gray of the sky as it hung over the city like a backdrop, the stark contrast of the light colored guild hall standing taller than the other darker colored buildings of the town, the umbrellas of townspeople bright colored blobs in the otherwise drab image, the flash of a smile on a girl on the edge of town as she spins in circles enjoying the feel of the rain on her skin. I wiped my eyes of rain and tears, forcing my face to match the spinning girl's in a smile. Seeing the town like this showed me that even though I am sad, and my heart is broken, life goes on. In that moment of realization, I made up my mind on what I'd do.

I summoned Virgo with a quick flick of her key and smiled genuinely at her when she appeared, I didn't bother to wait for her usual greeting of asking for punishment to wrap my arms around her in a tight hug, and for the first time since I'd obtained her key she face held a look of surprise. "Will you help me train to get stronger?" I ask her eager for her answer.

It took the pink haired spirit a few moments to morph her face back into its usual blank look "Of course princess, it would be my honor as your spirit to train you, any of us would gladly help you need only ask"

I nod "I'll keep that in mind, I'd like to go on a trip while I train, a change of scenery, but I don't want to have to go back to my apartment, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth right now, could you go and get the essentials for me while I talk to Loke?" an understanding look flashed across Virgo's face as she nodded and vanished. I touch my hand to Loke's key "I know you're listening, you might as well come out now" I say teasingly and wait while a flash of light brings forth my faithful lion spirit. I pull his key off my key ring as he comes forward to wrap his arm around my shoulders with an eyebrow raised questioningly. I open my hand letting the key rest in my palm "You belong to Fairy Tail as much as your key belongs to me, I can't ask you to leave your family just because I can't handle something at the guild" I begin than sigh "I don't want to make you choose, they were your family first and I don't know how long it will be before I'm ready to come back and face the guild without betraying my emotions, so take your key Loke-" he starts shaking his head before I even finish and brings his hand up to push my hand closed around his golden key, but he doesn't speak letting me finish "I want you to be happy Loke, and if Fairy Tail makes you happy then you should be there" I finish.

He smiles, his hand still wrapped around mine "Lucy, you are my master, you can't get rid of me that easy. Besides you plan to return at some point right?" he pauses and waits for me to nod before continuing "then that's enough for me, besides even if you are gone three months that's only a day in the spirit world"

I nod at his logic pulling my hand from his to reattach his key to my pouch "Will you do the honors of letting the master know what I'm doing? I don't want him to worry about me" I ask looking him in the eye, he leans forward and kisses my forehead so lightly I almost question if I really felt his lips on my skin and just like that he's removed himself from my person with a quick wave over his shoulder as he heads toward the bustling town. Once he is out of sight I reach for another key calling Cancer and asking him to cut my hair, another way to distance myself from the me of the current moment. I kept his visit short trying to preserve my magic for Loke and Virgo, as soon as he finishes cropping my hair to shoulder length I send him back and take residence beneath a tree on the edge of Magnolia's forest and wait for my spirits return.

 **AN: Just over 1600 words wow so um hi, I was supposed to upload this about 10 days ago? Sorry? Life sorta happened and I wasn't set on uploading this story, I kept trying to write and it just wasn't working out (so now I have more things to fix up and post lol) Anyway double chapter post for to make up for it**


	2. Airplanes

_Can we pretend that airplanes_  
 _In the night sky are like shooting stars?_  
 _I could really use a wish right now_  
 ** _B.O.B - Airplanes_**

 **Natsu's POV**  
Life seemed to work in funny ways, Lisanna, who I thought I'd loved with all I had died, then I met Lucy who seemed to fill all the empty places in my heart and then some, now Lisanna is back, but now I've lost Lucy. In the four weeks, we've been back from Edolas the warmth brought to my life by warm chocolate eye was gone, I felt cold like someone had snuffed out my flame and no matter how I tried I couldn't reignite it. Four weeks, half spent catching up with Lisanna, the other half helping Lisanna plan a birthday party for the now missing mage. I left out a frustrated sigh. Every time I looked at Lucy these past weeks she was smiling, but I missed have missed something, some clue as to what was going on with her. I look at my team as we all sit quietly at a table in the middle of the guild, they look miserable and tired, I'm sure I look no better, but Lisanna seems to be taking it the worst. She just wanted to get to know Lucy and be her friend, that's why she personally was over seeing the party until it was time to keep Lucy away from the guild, hence the mission team Natsu was supposed to take. That seemed to be where something changed though, Lis has tripped standing up to announce our departure, I'd caught her no problem and she'd kissed my cheek in thanks. I know I'd smelt Lucy in that moment, she'd been there, which meant she had to have known we were going on a mission, but when I turned to face her she was already gone. I clench my fist on my lap at the memory of how I chased her scent until the rain washed it away, I checked all the buildings in the area of where her scent vanished hoping she'd ducked into one of them to avoid the weather, but it was not to be. I was starting to get really soaked running around without an umbrella so I'd gone back to the guild

Loke arrived only moments after I did. He seemed awkward standing there, his face full of worry and sorrow. I knew, looking at his face, I knew something was really wrong, but I wasn't the first to ask. No, Erza beat me to it calling his name questioningly. That caught the guilds attention, but I don't think anyone understood in that moment what was going on aside from me and Loke if he was here then she was gone. I wanted to hate him for confirming my fear, I still want to hate him, but I couldn't bring myself to hate Loke, he was practically a part of Lucy. I'll never forget how hollow his voice sounded that day though, even if I live to be a hundred. "She's leaving, she's not sure when she's coming back, just that she is going," his voice shook with the weight of emotion, I watched for the first time ever as a tear slipped down his face "she tried to give me my freedom saying I belonged here, I don't know the full extent of what caused this decision, but I think it might be a long time before she returns on her own so she sent me to say goodbye." I wish I'd chased after he turned around to escape while the guild was still stunned silent, I wish I could forget how broken he sounded when he pushed the doors open and whispered goodbye without looking back. I shake my head and look at my team again, taking a second longer to look at each one, no one wore their usual smile, their eyes looked hollow and dead. I wish I'd noticed that hollow expression in Lucy's eyes before it was too late

If we all looked like this after only a week of her absence how long would we really hold it together? How long could I hold it together? Lucy's apartment was empty by the time any of us checked there, the landlord already looking for a new tenant after maybe hours since Lucy's departure. Happy cried when she told us, honestly I wanted to do the same, but my anger out weighed the sorrow. If Lucy really planned on coming back why did she get rid of her apartment? It still weighs on my mind, it consumes me as I lay on the floor where her bed once sat in what is now Happy and my apartment even though we owned a house on the edge of town. Lucy consumes my mind all the time. It's been six days four hours and seventeen minutes since Loke walked through those doors to rejoin Lucy, and the pain of her leaving feels worse than when Lis was gone. I thought I'd loved Lis as a kid, I really did, and maybe if I'd never met Lucy I would have really married her and been happy enough, but Lucy, Lucy was different in a way I didn't understand until she was gone. I would have been happy with Lis, but the joy Lis brought to my life was nothing compared to Lucy. I grab the glass of fire whiskey I'd asked Mira for when I'd arrived at the guild this morning and poured it down my throat. For a second it didn't feel like my flame was frozen, but as quickly was the whiskey slid down my throat did the feeling of warmth fade. I sighed setting the glass down and look about the guild as they bustle about with energy. Lucy might be missing, but for Fairy Tail life goes on. I can't blame them for that, not when I can see how despite that they are all acting normal there seems to be something missing in everyone's cheerful demeanor, a certain brand of light that seems to only radiate for a blond beauty who wormed her way into everyone's heart without their permission, not that anyone truly minded the invasion. Maybe the others are on to something though, trying to act like nothing is wrong, Lucy will come back to us, maybe not today, or tomorrow, or even next week, but she'd come back to us. We just had to trust Loke, she'd come back and in the mean time we'd wait here, we'd live and we'd wait, for the return of her blinding brilliance.

* * *

 **AN: This is only going to have one or two more parts to it, I'd say give me a week but I'm not gonna make promises if there isn't an update in 2 weeks feel free to yell at me though**


	3. Coming Home

_I'm coming home_  
 _I'm coming home_  
 _Tell the world I'm coming home_  
 **Diddy - Coming Home**

Lucy stayed away from Fairy Tail a year. In that time she worked hard with her spirits and deepened her understanding of them and their connections to one another, just as they are bound to her she is bound to them. Not that anyone of them really minded this connection, regardless of how Aquarius acted. Lucy knew she would never be as strong as Grey or Erza or Natsu but honestly, she was okay with that, because she wasn't them, nor was she simply Lucy Heartfilia heir to all that her father was, she is Lucy of Fairy Tail. A girl who loved her friends and her spirits as family and would fight to her last breath to save any of them. Despite her training, she may not have grown vastly in physical or magical strength but Lucy felt more at rest with herself, more sound in the mental and emotional states.

It hardly felt real as she stared out the window of the train carrying her home again. She wondered if this was a dream and she'd wake up tomorrow back in her tent just before sunrise to summon Loke and begin the morning's workout. 11 months ago she'd finally stopped crying at the thought of Natsu because even if he isn't with her she could be happy knowing that he is happy. 9 months ago Aquarius threatened Juvia into coming to see Lucy and when Juvia left again Lucy didn't cry, she felt better. The water mage had only stayed a week, just long enough to convince Lucy to write her heart out and seal it in a bottle to throw into the sea, and since they were in a forest Juvia offered to be Lucy's sea and carry her burden for her. Lucy let her heart leave tucked safely inside Juvia's body and set back to training with a fire lit in her soul. 6 months ago Lucy sent Loke to Fairy Tail to let them know she was alive and well, and also sorry for running away like she had without really talking to anyone, she needed time to sort herself out. If Lucy found it strange that both Loke and Juvia spoke of everyone but Natsu when they told her how the guild was she never voiced it.

She stood and stretched with a small sigh as the train pulled into the station. She had no luggage to worry about as Virgo offered to hold it in the celestial realm when Lucy told her spirits she was returning. Lucy pulled the hood of her cloak over her long hair that Cancer had insisted on restoring if she was returning. A smile crossed her face as she thought of how happy her spirits had all been to hear she was going home and the smile held on her face as she exited the train and made her way through town to stand before the guild hall. Fear flashed across her face for a moment, no one knew she was coming, what if they didn't want her back? She shook her head trying to rid herself of such thoughts and shoved the doors open before she could change her mind. As the doors banged against the walls of the hall all eyes trained on the cloaked figure in the doorway, some looked suspicious, others merely curious but no one moved for a moment just studying the cloaked person. Lucy ignored the stares mostly her eyes flicked to each face taking in the changes in each of her family a smile crossing her face again until her eyes met dull green eyes that were almost onyx in color presently, but she knew those eyes shone emerald in mirth. She frowned wondering what could have changed in him in her absence.

Mira was the first to move going to greet this cloaked person still standing in the doorway and it seemed to snap everyone out of their trance. People went back to what they were doing even if they kept one eye trained on this unknown person. Though Mira was the first to try and approach it was Juvia who seemed to catch on first practically running to hug the clearly feminine form and whisper loudly "Have you come to leave more of your heart with Juvia?" Gajeel narrowed his eyes at this exchange having heard it with his dragon hearing. He'd tried to place how he knew this person's scent, he knew this person, but he couldn't figure it out even as they hugged Juvia back and shook their head with a laugh. Gajeel knew that laugh too, but he couldn't place it but a glance at his fellow dragon slayers told him they were on the same page, except Natsu who looked like he'd been struck by Laxus. Realization settled over the iron dragon slayer taking in the change in Natsu's usually sullen demeanor. Lucy was home, and if he smiled at that fact well, it'd been a cold day in hell.

Natsu staggered to his feet, he knew that laugh, he knew that scent. He didn't know why they were clinging to Juvia or about Juvia having their heart, but he knew that was Lucy. That was his Luce. He stood there, his mouth slightly gaping at them, he debated with himself what he should say or do. A strange look crossed his face as he set his mind and stormed toward the two still standing in the doorway. All eyes were trained on them again as Natsu gently tore Lucy away from Juvia's arms trapping the still cloaked blond in his own arms. His mouth sealed over hers not leaving time for her to protest. He tried to pour all his love for her, all his sorrow for her leaving, all his happiness for her return into the kiss not sure how else to convey his heart to her. Nothing felt more right to him in that moment and nothing else mattered to him then the blond mage in his arms, his Luce. Neither of them heard the shocked gasps or saw Juvia's knowing smile both too caught up in each other. When they broke apart for air Lucy smiled at him and lowered her hood pecking him on the lips briefly before turning to Juvia "I don't think you'll have to carry my heart anymore Juvia."


End file.
